<div id="attachment_607771" class="wp-caption alignnone" readability="32"> <p id="caption-attachment-607771" class="wp-caption-text">UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson: Britons will need visas for long stays in EU from January</p>
Britons may need visas to enter EU for long stays from January
Britons may need visas for stays in the European Union longer than three months, French European Affairs junior minister Clement Beaune said on Thursday.
Beaune said the matter was still being negotiated.
“Whatever happens on Jan. 1, we will be in a different universe. We are ready,” Beaune said.
Beaune spoke as Britain warned the European Union that it must make significant concessions to break the impasse in Brexit trade talks by the end of the weekend to give some finality to the five year Brexit crisis.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the European Union’s chief executive gave themselves until the end of the weekend to seal a new trade pact after failing to overcome persistent rifts over a “lively” dinner of turbot on Wednesday.
“There’s still clearly some scope to keep talking but there are significant points of difference that remain,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told BBC TV.
“(On) Sunday, they need to take stock and decide on the future of negotiations.”
“Sunday I think is an important moment,” Raab told Sky News. “You never say never in these talks, but I think we do need to get some finality.”
Britain formally left the EU in January, but has since been in a transition period during which it remains in the EU single market and customs union, meaning that rules on trade, travel and business have stayed the same.
That ends on Dec. 31. If by then there is no agreement to protect around $1 trillion in annual trade from tariffs and quotas, businesses on both sides will suffer.
Failure to agree new rules to govern everything from car parts to Camembert would snarl borders, shock financial markets and sow chaos through supply chains in a world already grappling with the economic cost of COVID-19.
Johnson portrays Brexit as a chance to give Britain a fully independent, more agile economy. EU powers fear London wants the best of both worlds – preferential access to EU markets but with the advantage to set its own rules.
That, they say, would undermine the post-World War Two project which sought to bind the ruined nations of Europe – and particularly Germany and France – into a global trading power.
Raab said the main points of contention – fisheries and commitments on a level playing field – were narrow in scope but they were matters of principle for Britain.
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UK Foreign Secretary on Brexit Deal: Never Say Never When Negotiating With EU
Never say never when negotiating with the European Union, says UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab as London and Brussels are engaged in last-minute talks over the future of their trade relationship post-Brexit.
He noted that London would need to see “substantial movement” by Sunday – the day picked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen as a final deadline for a Brexit deal. At the same time, the top diplomat said that real progress needs to be made for the negotiations to continue beyond the Sunday deadline.
Raab has recognised that if the two sides fail to reach an agreement, there will be “bumps along the road”, including potential changes in food prices.
According to the foreign secretary, significant differences remain, mainly around fisheries and certain regulatory requirements, but there’s clearly scope to continue the talks. He, however, emphasised that Britain was not going to “sacrifice basic points of democratic principle” in order to get a deal.
He went on to note that irrespective of the differences, “movement needs to happen” on both issues, fishing quotas and level playing field, by Sunday. Regarding the latter, he noted, the European bloc has of late hardened its position.
During a “lively” discussion on Wednesday, Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agreed that a firm decision should be taken by Sunday concerning the future of the Brexit talks, despite “very large gaps” between the UK and the EU. Von der Leyen later took to Twitter to say that while the parties “gained a clear understanding of each others’ positions, they remain far apart”.
We had a lively & interesting discussion on the state of play on outstanding issues.
We understand each other’s positions. They remain far apart.
The teams should immediately reconvene to try to resolve these issues. We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend. pic.twitter.com/jG0Mfg35YX
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 9, 2020
Earlier in the day, Johnson addressed MPs about the prospects of post-Brexit arrangements with the EU, asserting that “a good deal is still there to be done”. The prime minister thundered that no British PM would sign up to the demands the European Union is “currently insisting on”, adding that while there is a trade deal to be done, the country would equally prosper without one.
“Our friends in the EU are currently insisting that if they pass a new law in the future with which we in this country do not comply … then they want the automatic right … to punish us and to retaliate”, he said in parliament.
While the post-Brexit trading and governance arrangements remain in limbo, despite heated talks in London, last week, the British side reportedly accused Brussels of revising their conditions at the eleventh hour, which, officials said, would certainly further threaten any potential compromise.
In light of the tight time framework still allocated for a deal to arrive – before the transition period expires on 31 December – concerns have arisen that the sides might enter the new year without an agreement.
A new accord will have to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states and European parliaments, including Britain’s by 31 December. What’s hampering the negotiations, as per the EU and a number of British officials, is the Internal Market Bill, which Johnson introduced in September. It proposes rolling back some of the commitments on state aid and customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland – something that has been deemed as violating international law.
Major Stumbling Blocks
The main sticking points yet to be resolved are fisheries – a totemic issue for the UK and France among other member states, governance, and the specifics of level-playing field conditions to guarantee fair market play.
In terms of fishing rules, the EU is striving for maximum access for its boats to continue operating in UK waters, where they currently catch about £600 million worth of fish every year. Yet, Britain insists the waters washing the country are sovereign and EU member states should negotiate fishing quotas with London annually.
The level playing field is all about rules on fair competition for billions of pounds of business, now and in the coming years. While the EU wants the UK to stick rather closely to EU rules on things like workers’ rights, the environmental regulations that companies have to follow, and state aid, Britain insists that the whole point of Brexit was to break free from European norms.
Another issue on the agenda is how the rules of the deal will be enforced in the future and what measures will be taken if one side breaks them. The EU has been rooting for powers to be granted to the bloc to retaliate against the UK violating the norms in one area, by hitting back in another – for instance, slapping tariffs or taxes where it thinks they might cripple most.
EU challenges gender stereotypes in a new awareness-raising campaign “Fight Like a Girl”
Ukraine
On December 10, 2020, the new, free from gender stereotypes online medium Fight Like a Girl was launched in Ukraine. It aims to equip young women and girls with useful tips on legal and sexual security and physical self-defense against gender-based violence amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Its launch marks the beginning of a dedicated campaign that will roll out fifteen videos in social media through December 2020 and January 2021.
“Gender-based and domestic violence are human rights violations. Gender stereotypes fuel the continuous existence of this plight. Equipping young people, notably girls and young women against violence, and giving them tools to dismantle stereotypes is key to a more democratic, safer and more prosperous future. There could not be a better name for this campaign than #fightlikeagirl and the EU is happy support UN Women, UNFPA and Gender Stream as representatives of Ukrainian civil society in its implementation”, said Martin Schroeder, Head of the Local and Human Development Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
The campaign is the part of the global campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which takes place annually from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, till 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The project Fight Like a Girl launches fifteen entertaining explanatory videos that will debunk stereotypes on women and girls and teach the audience how to identify different forms of gender-based violence and understand some forms of cybercrimes that affect women and girls. Consent to sex, sexual security during COVID-19 pandemic, understanding toxic relationships will bring up and explain essential topics for girls and young women. The series of videos on self-defense, created in partnership with the National Police of Ukraine, will teach women and girls how to respond to potential attacks of an abuser and ensure safe escape.
The campaign is produced by the NGO Gender Stream, a grassroots women’s rights initiative from Dnipro, and UN Women in Ukraine. It speaks in a friendly and fun voice of a trusted peer and friend on a Instagram account @FLG_UA, and promotes the hashtags #бийсяякдівчина #fightlikeagirl.
In a series of 15 videos, the audience will hear the voices of Ukrainian influencers:
Stanislav Korolev, musician, member of the band “Yuko”;
Oleksandra Gontar, journalist of the Toronto Television YouTube project and poet;
Volodymyr Beglov, Head of the Human Rights Education Center in Lviv;
Natalia Shevchuk, Director General of the Social Film and Advertising Festival;
Olga Zhukovtsova, actress of the Women’s Quartal;
Katro Zauber, Ukrainian DJ
Vitaliy Zhadan, tactical training instructor, National Police of Ukraine.
“I hope that the project Fight like a girl will reach many women and girls, and it will empower them to change their lives. In a society where you do not feel protected, it is vital to finally try to create security for yourself (as much as possible)”, – said Oleksandra Gontar, TV host and participant of the project.
Background information:
In Ukraine and worldwide, gender-based violence is widespread and systematic, gaining even more momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost half (49%) of women in Ukraine say they have experienced sexual harassment. Under quarantine, the number of registered domestic violence cases rose to over 54%[1], and the number of calls to the National Hotline for the Prevention of Domestic Violence doubled[2].
The campaign was produced in the framework of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” programme, funded by the European Union, implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA. The videos were produced with the financial support of the European Union. Their contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
For further information, please contact Narmina Strishenets, Communication and Advocacy Analyst, UN Women Ukraine: [email protected] or +38(050) 425-79-30.
[1] National Police Statistics as of 9 months, 2020 vs 2019
[2] UNFPA, 2020
Non-communicable diseases killing more people than ever before: UN health agency
The 2019 Global Health Estimates, released on Wednesday, “clearly highlight” the need for increased attention on preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as tackling injuries, according to WHO.
“These new estimates are another reminder that we need to rapidly step up prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“They highlight the urgency of drastically improving primary health care equitably and holistically.”
Mr. Tedros also underlined the importance of strong primary health care for combatting non-communicable diseases as well as the coronavirus pandemic. People living with pre-existing health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory conditions, are at higher risk of complications and death due to COVID-19.
The study covers the years 2000 to 2019, prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The next update to the estimates will include an assessment of the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic on mortality and morbidity.
Heart disease ‘number 1 killer’
According to WHO, heart disease has remained the leading cause of death at the global level for the last 20 years, but it is now killing more people than ever before, representing 16 per cent of total deaths from all causes.
The number of deaths from heart disease increased over fourfold, from 2 million since 2000, to nearly 9 million in 2019.
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are now among the top 10 causes of death worldwide, and deaths from diabetes increased by 70 per cent globally between 2000 and 2019.
The findings also pointed to a global decline in deaths from communicable diseases, though they remain major challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Deaths from tuberculosis, for instance, reduced by about 30 per cent.
Disability on the rise
The Global Health Estimates also found that life-spans have increased over the years, with a global average of more than 73 years (in 2019) compared to nearly 67 (in 2000). But on average, only 5 of those additional years were lived in good health.
“Disability is on the rise,” WHO said, explaining that to a large extent, the diseases and health conditions causing the most deaths are also responsible for most number of healthy life-years lost.
“Injuries are another major cause of disability and death,” the UN agency added, noting that there has been a “significant rise” in road traffic injuries since 2000, with the African region worst affected.
Rise in drug use-related deaths
In the Americas, drug use emerged as a major factor in both disability and death: there was a nearly threefold increase in deaths from drug use disorders in the Americas between 2000 and 2019.
The region is also the only one for which drug use disorder is a top 10 contributor to healthy life-years lost due to premature deaths and disability.
COMMENT | Reclaiming deprived right to religion due to Covid-19
COMMENT | The right to practice and profess religion certainly has been one of the casualties caused by the Covid-19. The threat of the pandemic, which has been weathered globally for the past 12 months, has tremendously affected the universally accepted tenet of freedom of religion.
Religion, in any name and sect all over the world, has restricted its religious practices and rituals. The restrictions, although only relegated public religious practices to personal spaces, have in many ways affected the right to religion as a whole.
There is every reason why the right to religion is believed to have been undermined by the threat of Covid-19. Religious practices and rituals around the world directly contravened with the public health advice advocated in stopping the transmission of the virus.
They include public congregations in a large crowd, hand-based greetings as well as touching and kissing objects considered sacred. These practices signify the…
African leaders nix EU-AU summit as tensions simmer
Simmering institutional tensions between the EU and the African Union resulted in the last-minute cancellation of a ‘mini-summit’ between European Union and African leaders planned for Wednesday (9 December).
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current chair of the AU, called off the summit on Tuesday, and insiders to the talks say that the cancellation of the videoconference was the result of disagreements over the agenda and the format of the meeting.
No African heads of state aside from Ramaphosa were able to attend the summit. Neither was, from the EU side, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
An EU official blamed “agenda issues” for the cancellation.
The meeting had been billed by the EU as “an opportunity to build further momentum towards the upcoming summit and discuss the partnership between Europe and Africa.”
However, there is frustration among African officials that the EU seems intent on driving the agenda with little consultation.
The mini-summit had been announced in October by EU Council President Charles Michel, with minimum consultation with African leaders, shortly after plans for an EU-AU summit scheduled for October were abandoned because of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and disagreements over the agenda.
The European Commission’s strategy paper published in March promised to “build a more prosperous, more peaceful and more sustainable future for all”, around five proposed partnerships on energy, digitalisation, inward investment, peace and migration. The African Union is yet to publish its own position paper on its hopes from the partnership agenda.
“The EU needs to rethink its approach to the consultation process. The cancellation reflects the need to take the African side seriously,” a senior official involved in the talks told EURACTIV.
Having started this year with hopes of agreeing a ‘strategic partnership’ between the EU and Africa by the end 2020, little progress has been made, in part because the priorities of both continents have been focused on combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cancellation was greeted with dismay by development NGOs.
“The AU’s last-minute cancellation of today’s EU-AU leaders meeting sends a worrying signal of their lack of confidence in the EU’s commitment to a stronger partnership,” said Brandon Locke, policy and advocacy manager at The ONE Campaign.
“The EU’s partnership with Africa needs to move past a “donor-recipient” relationship to an alliance on equal footing, where Europe recognizes Africa’s interests and vision for its own future,” added Locke, who said the EU “needs to deliver with concrete commitments to rebalance the economic partnership between the two continents”.
Negotiators from the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific community signed off on a 20-year partnership deal to succeed the Cotonou Agreement last Thursday night (3 December) after nearly three years of difficult talks.
Although the new pact includes a new regional protocol between the EU and sub-Saharan Africa, and a new tougher text on migrant re-admission and return, it left trade relations unchanged and based on the controversial economic partnership agreements, widely criticised for perpetuating unbalanced trade relations between the EU and African countries.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
Markets in Asia-Pacific Trade Lower Amid Uncertainty Over UK-EU Trade Deal and US Relief Bill
Asia-Pacific markets reacted negatively to the unpromising Brexit trade deal perspective as well as to the indeterminate second US coronavirus relief bill in Thursday morning trade, according to CNBC News.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Topix were lower 0.39 percent and 0.17 percent respectively after the market opened. South Korea’s Kospi index fell 1.11 percent. Australian benchmark ASX 200 dropped 0.56 percent while its sections all finished in the red. The energy subindex was down 1.05 percent, as oil prices have declined.
Meanwhile, on Wall Street, stocks closed negatively on Wednesday evening, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq leading losses with a nearly 2 percent drop. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, Wall Street’s broadest stocks gauge, finished down 0.4 percent to close at 30,069, after a record high at 30,320. The S&P 500, a barometer for the top 500 US stocks on the New York Stock Exchange, slid 0.8 percent to finish at 3,673, after setting an all-time high of 3,712 earlier.
On Wednesday, British PM Boris Johnson held a further round of negotiations with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, where both of them agreed that a firm decision should be made by Sunday about the future of the talks. At the moment, trade with Northern Ireland and the level of access to British fishing grounds given to EU vessels are the most crucial issues in talks. The UK and the European Union are supposed to come to an agreement before the Brexit transition period expires on 31 December, as Boris Johnson refused to prolong it last year.
On Capitol Hill, debates over the second financial aid continue as the coronavirus-related crisis is striking the country. Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over key provisions of the recently introduced $908 billion relief bill. The package has to be approved by 11 December, but Congress has requested another week to negotiate the bill, with a new deadline set for 18 December.
Grants totaling more than $43 million will help cultural institutions nationwide explore religion
INDIANAPOLIS – Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded 18 grants to museums and other cultural institutions across the United States to develop exhibitions and education programs that fairly and accurately portray the role of religion in the U.S. and around the world.
Grants totaling more than $43 million will support a range of organizations, from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to Colonial Williamsburg; from the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. These grants were awarded as part of the Endowment’s Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.
“Museums and other cultural institutions are trusted organizations and play an important role in teaching the American public about the world around them,” said Christopher Coble, the Endowment’s vice president for religion. “These organizations will use the grants to help visitors understand and appreciate the significant impact religion has had and continues to have on society in the United States and around the globe. Our hope is that these efforts will promote greater knowledge about and respect for people of diverse religious traditions.”
With one exception, the grants range in amount from $500,000 to $2.5 million. The organizations will use grant funds to develop projects that align with their missions and are appropriate for their constituencies. Many will draw on their extensive collections to mount temporary or permanent exhibitions featuring religious themes. Some will develop exhibitions focused on particular religious traditions or religion in specific historical periods. Others will examine religious themes and practices or explore the diversity of religious life in specific geographic regions. Nearly half of the grants will provide funds for endowments to help organizations create permanent staff positions or ongoing programs focused on religion. Many organizations will use a portion of their grants to enhance digital technologies to allow them to reach audiences virtually.
Among the organizations funded are:
• The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art (Freer Gallery of Art and Artur M. Sackler Gallery), located in Washington, D.C., which will develop a series of exhibitions that help visitors understand the diversity of pre-modern and contemporary Muslim, Buddhist, Zen and Hindu traditions.
• The National World War I Museum and Memorial, located in Kansas City, which will establish an endowed curator position on faith and religion, strengthen public programming on religion in a time of war and enhance gallery and virtual exhibitions.
• The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, which will develop an exhibition that explores universal experiences of mortality alongside distinctive ways that religious beliefs and practices help communities respond to death.
• The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, which will establish an endowment to make religion a central component of the museum’s work, incorporate religion into the re-installation of its Native American Gallery, and help with the development and mounting of an exhibition focused on religion and the American West.
A complete list of grants can be found here.
Lilly Endowment launched the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative in 2019 when it awarded planning grants totaling nearly $2 million to organizations to help them explore how programming in religion could further their institutional missions. Many organizations used the planning period to examine how religious themes were already present in their collections and design projects that would enhance and complement their current activities. Since the planning activities occurred during COVID-19, many of the organizations experimented with and ultimately proposed increasing their digital capacities to interpret religion and reach additional audiences.
The Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative builds directly on insights and experiences from previous grants to museums and cultural organizations to mount exhibitions that lift up and explore religious themes. Past grant recipients include the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis, and the International African American Museum located in Charleston, S.C.
Among the current grant recipients, the Smithsonian Institution is receiving a nearly $8 million grant to enable the National Museum of American History to establish its Center for the Public Understanding of Religion in American History and create a dedicated gallery featuring the impact of religion on American history. Through the Center, the Smithsonian also will establish a network for museums and other cultural institutions to learn from and with each other about their work in religion.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The Endowment also funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. While the primary aim of its grantmaking in religion focuses on strengthening the leadership and vitality of Christian congregations in the United States, the Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the contributions that people of all faiths and diverse religious communities make to our greater civic well-being.
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Contact
Judith Cebula
[email protected]
(317) 916-7327
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.
US puts Nigeria on religious freedom blacklist with China, Saudi Arabia
The United States has included Nigeria on a blacklist of nations where “systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations” are an issue of concern.
The move could pave the way for potential sanctions in the future, Deutsche Welle reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Dec. 7, that the West African nation, an ally of the US, was among “countries of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.”
“The US is unwavering in its commitment to religious freedom. No country or entity should be allowed to persecute people with impunity because of their beliefs,” Pompeo said in a tweet.
“These annual designations show that when religious freedom is attacked, we will act.”
Pompeo did not elaborate on the reasons for including Nigeria, which has a delicate balance between Muslims and Christians, Voice of America reported.
Pompeo notably did not include India, which has a growing relationship with Washington, said VOA.
The U.S. Secretary of State was infuriated by a recommendation from the Commission on International Religious Freedom to include the secular but Hindu-majority nation over what it called a sharp downward turn under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The United States is designating Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK (North Korea), Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended, for engaging in or tolerating ‘systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.'”
Nigeria was first designated as a CPC in 2019 by the State Department due to its treatment of the Shi’a community leader Ibrahim ZakZaky. ZakZaky has been in detention since 2015, despite a court ordering his release, International Christian Concern reported.
The West African nation has denied all allegations of religious freedom violations though.
Lai Mohammed, its Minister of Information and Culture released a statement in Abuja on Dec. 8 where he said that the listing was a difference in opinion between the two nations.
He said, “Nigeria does not engage in religious freedom violation, neither does it have a policy of religious persecution. Victims of insecurity and terrorism in the country are adherents of Christianity, Islam and other religions.”
Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa with some 214 million people with just over 50 percent of them thought to be Muslims and about 46 percent Christians.
U.S. law says that nations on the blacklist must make improvements or face sanctions including losses of U.S. government assistance.
However, the administration can waive such actions.
The US State Department found that eight out of 10 people around the world face restrictions on religious freedom.
“Where religious freedom is absent, terrorism and violence fester. Our advocacy for religious communities abroad helps to ensure the protection and prosperity of Americans at home,” the State Department said in a statement.
While the designations relate to government actions, the State Department had already listed Nigeria’s Boko Haram as a terrorist group, AFP reported.
The militants began an insurgency in 2009 in northeastern Nigeria that has since spread to neighboring countries, killing more than 36,000 people and forcing 3 million to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.
Under U.S. law, nations on the blacklist must make improvements or face sanctions, including losses of U.S. government assistance, although the administration can waive actions.
Deal on financing a just energy transition in EU regions
News – European Parliament
- 17.5 billion EUR to support people, the economy and the environment for 2021-2027
- Investments in fossil fuels will not receive funding
- Focus on least developed regions, outermost regions, islands
On Wednesday, EP and Council reached a provisional agreement on setting up the Just Transition Fund to mitigate the social impact of greening the economy.
The Just Transition Fund (JTF), worth 17.5 billion EUR, is one of the EU’s key tools to support regions in the transition towards climate neutrality by 2050.
During their talks, EU institutions agreed to broaden its scope to also fund micro-enterprises, universities and public research institutions, digital innovation and activities in the areas of education and social inclusion. Investments in renewable energy and energy storage technologies, investments in energy efficiency and heat production for renewables-based district heating, smart and sustainable local mobility will also be financed.
The decommissioning or construction of nuclear power stations, activities linked to tobacco products and investment related to the production, processing, transport, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuels cannot be funded through the JTF.
At the initiative of the Parliament, a “Green Rewarding Mechanism” will be introduced, if JTF resources are increased after 31 December 2024. The additional resources will be distributed among member states, with those that succeed in reducing greenhouse gas emitted by their industrial facilities receiving more funding.
Other key measures agreed
- In their territorial just transition plans, member states have to focus on supporting outermost regions and islands and earmark specific amounts from their national allocations;
- Businesses in difficulty may receive support in compliance with temporary EU state aid rules established to address exceptional circumstances;
- Resources may be transferred from other cohesion funds on a voluntary basis;
- The proportion of the investments to be provided by EU funding (co-financing) is set at maximum of 85% for less developed regions, 70% for transition regions and 50% for more developed regions.
Quote
Rapporteur Manolis Kefalogiannis (EPP, GR) said: “The European Parliament gave a strong political signal: the social, economic and environmental impact of the energy transition in the most affected regions must be addressed. We took a pragmatic approach that will allow us to move into a new green era without leaving anyone behind.”
Next steps
Parliament and Council are now expected to endorse the content of the agreement.
Background
The Commission published in January 2020 a legislative proposal on the Just Transition Fund (JTF), the first legislative proposal implementing the priorities set out in the European Green Deal, followed in May by an amended proposal containing an increase of the Fund’s resources. In July, the European Council set the financial envelope of the JTF at EUR 7.5 billion from the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, supplemented by EUR 10 billion from the EU Recovery Instrument.
